Franklin County is among three Ohio counties designated for federal election monitoring Tuesday, Nov. 3, as the U.S. Department of Justice carries out what it called its largest election monitoring effort in history.
The DOJ deployed approximately 1,000 monitors and observers to all 50 states, a first for the agency, according to a DOJ press release. In Ohio, monitors were assigned to three counties: Cuyahoga, Franklin and Medina.
Franklin County, home to New Albany and Gahanna, has nearly 300 polling locations and 5,000 trained poll workers serving voters on Election Day, according to NBC4. The DOJ did not specify which polling sites within each county would receive monitors.
The effort is coordinated by the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. Monitors include personnel from multiple DOJ divisions, U.S. Attorney's Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, the agency said.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in a statement that the deployment pursues "transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner."
The scale marks a sharp increase. During the 2022 midterm elections under President Joe Biden, the DOJ sent monitors to 64 jurisdictions across 24 states, the Ohio Capital Journal reported.
What monitors can and cannot do
The DOJ said in a court document that monitors are not allowed to carry firearms, have been instructed not to interfere with voting and must dress in business casual clothing, the Ohio Capital Journal reported.
DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels said in a statement that monitors will observe and report potential violations of federal law to the department for review after Election Day.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Oct. 27 that federal election observers are nothing new and have been deployed under both Republican and Democratic administrations, NBC4 reported.
Concerns from voting-rights groups
The deployment drew objections from voting-rights organizations. The NAACP sued the DOJ in early October for records about the monitoring program, arguing in its complaint that the deployment of federal officials could interfere with voters' right to cast ballots without intimidation, the Ohio Capital Journal reported.
The NAACP also sought a temporary restraining order to block federal law enforcement agents from serving as monitors, the Ohio Capital Journal reported. NAACP General Counsel Kristen Clarke said in a statement that "law enforcement agents can have an intimidating effect on voters, especially Black voters, and they have no role and no right to be inside our polling places."
USA Today reported that in states with closely contested Senate races, monitors were assigned to cities and counties with disproportionately high levels of Black and Hispanic residents, according to U.S. Census data. In Ohio, Franklin County is 25% Black, USA Today reported. Medina County is 90% white.
Franklin County readiness
Franklin County Board of Elections Director Antone White said the county is prepared. More than 93,000 voters cast early ballots, shattering the county's early-voting records, NBC4 reported.
Franklin County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Rick Minerd said deputies will be both visible and in plain clothes, working alongside election officials. He said there are no specific threats to central Ohio's election, 10TV reported.
Voters with questions or complaints about federal voting rights can call the DOJ's election issues hotline at 1-800-253-3931 or email [email protected].
